100 Ways To Prove That I Love You
by Hanzatsu-Hime
Summary: 100 THEME CHALLENGE of ZoNa THEME 78 - DRINK now posted! post-Movie 10: Zoro is up for night watch when Nami saunters into the kitchen, her skin still stained with green poison... M rating for previous and possibly later themes.
1. Intro To The Love of ZoNa

One Piece:

_**One Piece:**_

**100 Ways To Prove That I Love You**

**Theme:** #1. Introduction  
**Pairing:** Zoro x Nami  
**Rating:** K+ (for now)

They both remembered it vividly. As she leaned on the railing of the upper deck, as he was laying comfortably against the Men's Quarters walls, the atmosphere that rested over the Thousand Sunny stirred an urge of reminiscence within both of their tender bodies. He could see her shoulders and so forth over the wooden rails, and she could feel his eyes on her back. She knew the eyes that were scanning her frame were none other then the swordsman's, because the intensity of his stare, no matter how he felt or intended to look towards her, always left a signature chill at the base of her neck. Smiling, her own leer monitoring the setting of the sun, she decided to acknowledge her heart's request and allowed a certain flashback to fill her mind. What she didn't know was at the very moment she closed her eyes, the santoryuu-fighter Zoro was doing the same.

The day of bargaining with Pirate Captain Buggy was indeed a strange one. How could she have known that the naïve boy in a straw hat, that she planned on using as a peace-offering to retrieve some treasure, would end up being one of her new founded reasons to live? He was such a simpleton, she had evaluated from the second she heard him speak. She knew better now though; she was clearly the naïve one. But though she had such no desire for him in any of her bones, she had done her best to protect him. He was nothing more then an innocent boy, and as someone with morals and principles, she had done what she though was right and used any means within grasps to save that poor boy from an excruciating death; the only thing at grasps being her hands. Little did she know, she too was to be saved that day, by a comrade of her target, the infamous pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro. It was one of the weirdest days of her life.

"Just how many of you are charging at one girl?" he remembered he had said. When he first arrived upon the scene, he couldn't have cared less about the red-head. From what he could gather, she was the reason his captain was caged. Truthfully, Luffy and Zoro had not built any kind of a relationship yet, but he did have principles, so he had to save his captain. He had originally planned to simply release his captain and run. The circus group of pirates were more of a joke in his eyes, so they had no reason to quarrel with them. But as he began to approach, as he saw that girl fend of her attackers all on her own, then use her own hands to destroy that fuse, the one that would have been the countdown to the death of his monkey of a captain, he instantly respected her. It was something he would have pegged as a challenging decision to make. However, she looked as though it was merely the right thing to do, and so she did it, with no worry in mind. A woman like that was hard to find.

When he saved her, she had looked over her shoulder to see just to who she owed thanks. Never in her wildest dreams would she have guessed it was someone so renowned. Why this man was travelling with someone as daft as the straw hat kid, she couldn't even begin to fathom. But he had asked her is she was alright, possibly inquiring to the condition of her hands, then immediately took attention to the boy in the cage. They spoke so casually; they must have travelling for quite some time. She always read the paper; how come she didn't know of such great, powerful bounty hunter suddenly switching sides? Was the media going to have a frenzy with this breaking news. Unfortunately, matters did not end here, as a poor excuse for both a captain and a clown called out to the swordsman and challenged him.

It was definitely not one of his proudest moments; it was one of his most disappointing. He had not become accustomed to devil fruit powers just yet, as he usually dealt with pirates. Since most Navy personnel were in contact with those hellish weapons, he had no idea that a surprise attack was flying right at him, in front of his soon to be formed team, no less. Luckily, the mark of Buggy's knife did not scar, but it did indeed leave a mental mark; another reason to become stronger. After that incident, he had no issue with escaping for the time being. Also, as a way to redeem himself, he ended up saving his captain as well, so it worked out in the end, he guessed.

It always was weird to her, how both the monkey and bandana-wearing men instantly called her their navigator after they had found a place to rest. They both showed such faith in her, even though she had brought Luffy as close to death as he had probably ever been. Zoro was injured too! She had felt guilty enough as it was, then to hear that the little rascals still wanted her to join them on their journey was befuddling. They were such a strange pair, and as she came back into the world of reality, she realized they still were; not much had changed. They were still her troublesome boys, and she still felt the need to protect them. Knowing too well what would happen if she didn't, she laughed to herself with glee, as the rest of her adventures with them washed over her.

He heard her giggled and wondered why. She definitely was a strange one, that Nami. Even back then, she still was a mystery to him. It was funny how Luffy, the one who claims everything is a mystery if he can't comprehend its meaning, never said Nami was one. She was a year younger then him, and he could never win against her. She was always guiding him, and he took the time to still protect her. In the end, not much had changed since then. They themselves had grown into different people, but they were still Nami and Zoro, with their crazy and 'mystery' of a captain. They also had recruited more nakama since that day, too. Because one boy asked them both a random question, they were in those spots they were today. One on the upper deck, one laying against the lower deck floorboards, they were where they were because of one boy, and they couldn't be happier.

Suddenly, and very frighteningly, a loud bang echoed from the kitchen. Zoro saw Nami twist her head backwards as had tossed his head up. They heard man lines echo from the dining hall, such as,

"YAY! MEAT!"

"Luffy! That's not meat! That's Chopper's--"

"AHHH! Don't eat that! RUMBLE BALL!"

"HEY! Little dudes, calm down! You're hurting Sunny!"

They were sure they heard a feminie giggle.

"Yo ho ho ho ho! Perhaps I should play us a song to lighten the mood?"

"NAMI-SAN! DINNER! You too, Marimo!"

It took them both a few seconds to recollect their thoughts. Nami looked down at the swordsman, to see a look of bemusement on his face while his eyes fell shut. Smiling, a giggle bubbling in her throat, she skipped down the steps and over to him, then lightly kicked him in the side. His eyes meeting hers, she gave him the gentlest of demeanours and said kindly, "Get up, already. Dinner's on the table, or whatever's left of it."

He nodded and jumped up. The two walked up the stairs together, both grinning with a joy they couldn't quite understand. As they reached the entrance to the kitchen's quarters, they looked at each other, again the reason being unknown, changed the whole-hearted look to a smirk of pride, then both entered the kitchen at the same time. They also took the seats corresponding to each other, eating comfortably in each other's presence. The rest of the crew went onward with their business, not even taking notice to the silence of the two of them. It was like an actual, normal family; the kids being as rowdy as they always were, and the two parents, pleased with what they had. The swordsman and the navigator, as happy as they were, were happy to have each other, to enjoy such a moment together, and with no one else having a clue.

**Author's Note:**

Quote from . Modified a bit. More to come! Stay tuned! Suggestions are welcomed, as to which theme you want to see next. All are on my profile.

Blessed Be!

Yes, I _**WAS**_ **Ryoku's Jiki Sweetie**, but now I changed to **Hanzatsu-Hime**.


	2. Do Not Disturb

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**One Piece:**

Theme: #63 – Do Not Disturb  
Pairing: ZoroxNami  
Rating: **M** (Viewer Discretion is Advised)

**Slippery Struggle**

* * *

Growling as deeply as humanly possible, Roronoa Zoro ripped his shirt away from his flexing chest and attacked the shower's knobs, the water spraying fiercely from the tap. His fang slipped to stab his bottom lip while he took care of discarding his boots, pants and underwear, his hands clenching the lining of his clothing the entire time. As he placed his familiar fabrics into a sloppy pile beside the shower's base, he paid no attention to the actual scorching temperature of the water that sprayed over his tanned body and began his typical cleansing ritual. He tried to sigh away his heavy breathing, but it did not decimate the rumbling in his chest, and so, his eyebrows creased.

'_Stupid bitch_.' The swordsman thought angrily as he scrubbed his skin with no form of product. Snapping his jaw tightly, the realization dawned on him and he began his search for the bar of soap. Glaring his way around the small space, he couldn't seem to find what he was looking for. At the peak of his fury, he slammed a fist against the wall before him and bowed his head, his free hand balled at his side. His eyes were transfixed on the circular drain at the bottom of the shower's room, but his mind had not registered the sight of it, as he was trapped within the cast corners of his mind.

That _stupid bitch_ he had referred to was none other then the navigator of the Straw Hat nakama, Nami. The reasoning behind his new nickname for his companion was her feline-like body and seductress charm. Glancing over at his manhood, he almost barked with rage. Somehow, the wench of his companions had caused a strange, burning sensation to swirl in his lower abdomen, and now he had to deal with a throbbing trouble he had never dealt with before. He knew what she had done to him, for he awoke just as every other male in the world, but he never had his cock harden by the presence of a woman before. He wasn't oblivious to the reason; he had loved Nami differently as the rest of his friends, and her overpowering aura had finally made his body succumb. However, that did not cool his burning temper. In fact, with nothing but his understanding, he felt he had more of reason to allow his fury to boil over, hoping it would distract him.

He tried cursing at her in his mind, but it only aroused him further, to the point of groaning in pain. Looking up at the shower head suddenly, the temperature of the water, at long last, registered and he yelped displeasingly. Reaching for the knobs again, he almost broke the hot water one as he turned it off, then forced the cold water tab as far as it could go. In a moment of weakness, while alone in the shower, he let a small moan of enjoyment sound from inside his throat, relishing in the feel of the freezing water droplets trickling down shape of each and every muscle. Bowing his head under the small river, he let himself ponder over the existence of Nami, and why she riled him so. He was never one to judge appearances for a positive purposes, so he had no definition as to what beauty or sex-appeal was. He was able to, nevertheless, commemorate the times he admired her frame, as it was quite fit for a female.

Just then, he ran his fingers through his tiny locks of hair and scratched at his scalp enthusiastically. No, he was not going to give permission for his desire to emerge for a second time in one day. He would, instead commemorate her personality. She was a fiery, brazen woman; he decided to describe her as. Her proud nature gave her a certain form of confidence he had never seen in a woman before. That was something that sparked his arousal, he assumed, and again, he had to attack the cradle of his mind. His knuckles became detailed through his skin as he dragged his hand down the side of his face, then he punched himself with enough force to turn his head. What was happening to him?

Shaking his head at a frightening speed, his mind rattling, his own kind of strategy for releasing his mind of all thoughts of her, he almost lost his balance. To catch himself, his fist made contact with the wall again, only this time, some of the tiles crackled under the pressure. It was then he noticed he was panting. He wasn't at a loss for breath; his heart beat was accelerating. Lowering his gaze down to his appendage again, he noticed that he was on the verge of hardening again, even under the ice-cold pressure. Sighing in defeat, he stood there and let the water rush over him. Closing his eyes, his head lowered again and doused his head under the stream. His tile-breaking fist slid to rest just under the water supplier, his fingers sliding out of the balled position to allow his palm a change to rest against the wall.

Zoro sighed again; he was not fit to face his nakama for a while. He would not give in to temptation, for that was the fall of all powerful men. His greatest issue was no longer beating his greatest opponent in swords-play, but more so, dealing with the temptress he had allowed into his heart. How he wished he had never met her, in that moment in time, if it would get rid of the painful struggle in his confused manhood.

"What's," –his eyes shot open at the sound of _that_ voice- "the matter, Zoro? Not feeling well?"

His eyes darkened, his growl increased in volume and his muscles flexed with each agonizing breath. How the hell did the damned-feline-that-cursed-him pass by his senses, and was suddenly pressed up against him, her naked body blocking his access to the shower? He leered as hard as he could, but the situation began to quench his secret thirst. Her ample chest was compressed against his, with her nipples quite obviously pleased with their placing. He could see her cleavage line most evidently, as it was only inches under his lowered chin. Her eyes held that same seductive look; the stare that made him ache for her body, yet held enough refinery where it could also be labelled as innocent. Her bare thighs were against his, meaning her stomach was holding down his cock. If she were to just lift her leg… he wasn't sure if he wanted to think about that.

With her face tilted innocently underneath his down-casted head, his inner demon screamed at him to force himself on her, capturing her lips in the most antagonizing kiss of her life. What worried him the most about the situation was his zapped strength, for he had no will to move her, and the revival of the demon he was sure he had terminated. His eyes rattled in his head; it took all his nerve not to look at her full, parted lips. His jaw clamped shut, as he tried to refrain from acting out of his usual demeanour, and pulled his complete frame away from her. He thought he backed up to the edge of the confined area for how long his steps took, but to his disappointment, he stood with enough distance for the sight of her perky breasts to still tease him.

He knew she could see the raging battle in his eyes, because the moment their gazes met, her smile turned into a smirk. His features matched his scowl before he answered her, "What do you think you're doing here? And how did you get in?"

"Does that even matter? I'm here; that's that." Her gracefully saunter spiked his senses; was he considering taking her? Honestly, she deserved to be raped by him, for intruding on a man while trying to rid himself of the need to fill her with his being. The only fact that stopped him from doing so was the reminder that flashed through his mind set; she was his nakama. She knew how to tease and get away with it, while he only knew how to ignore or take. That was how she always managed to beat him, and he could only bow down to her wants.

His reasoning, that was slowly being silenced, told him to retreat. He attempted to comply with his logic, something that was almost unaccustomed, but lost all chance as she threw her arms around him—he was sure he felt her grind her hips, too. Luckily for the both of them, he had planted his feet, so to avoid any form of falling, but he was worried again by his unfounded urge to resist her. Instead of displaying his worry to her, he simply stood still, lying as a way to hide all that he felt for the unclad and sexually appealing woman before him.

Her smirk grew before she did something he wouldn't have fantasized about in his wildest of wet dreams. Lifting her left leg, she rested her calf onto his hip, and then mimicked the act with her right. While in mid-action of placing her right leg on his waist, she tossed herself upward and somehow found a way to slide her moist womanhood over his cock. Immediately, his dark glare stopped at the sound and sight of her pleasure-riding body, and turned his expression into one of shock.

"N-Nami!" He spoke as quickly as he could, as his voice broke half way through the shout for her name so he could lessen the volume of his cry. He couldn't comprehend what she had just done; all he was able to register was that he was suddenly hardening inside her, something he never thought he would be able to do.

After her painfully lagging moan, her eyes slid open half way; his instinct gripped his groin. She looked so hungry for him, with the same heat as what he felt. Since she initiated the act, he took the chance to look down at her nipples; they looked to be in pain, with how pointed they were. Meeting her eyes again, his hanker stirred inside him once more. He growled soundlessly, almost animalistic, as his eyelids slid to give her the same look that she gave him. With both their bodies itching and yearning for each other, they wasted not another moment and lunged at each other. Their lips held captive by the other's, passionately claiming each speck of skin, they slowly started the act of intercourse.

Nami acted first; arching her back, she held onto him as closely as she could. Lifting herself, she held her open womanhood over the head of his cock for a second or two, then rolled her hips swiftly and dropped her entire being. Her wet walls covered him fully, which made both of them verbally convey their felicity. She repeated the action—only this time, as she hung over his head, she swirled her opening twice—before grabbing his hands and placing them on the sides of her stomach. The moment his hands traced her sides, Nami felt goose bumps arise all over her body and she nibbled on his lip as a sign of appreciation.

Grasping the concept of sex by this point, Zoro bucked his hips upward forcefully, deciding he wanted to be in control of her. The sound of her scream shattered all mental restraints he had placed on himself. Almost throwing her against the wall to his right, he confined her between his heated body and the chilling tiles. She moaned at that too; the unfamiliar sound, something so simplistic and unusual, drove him mad. The moment her pleased sound ceased, he thrusted as hard as he could back into her, just to hear it again. It was almost like gasoline to a fire.

Before he lost all form of thoughts, an idea quickly came to him. Letting one hand slip from her side, which made her cry for him, he reached for the shower head and turned it, so the pressure could beat on their intense actions. She seemed to approve, as she rolled her hips faster, and did so again as his palm cupped the underside of her breast. Seeing as how his hands also made her as crazy his thrusting, he moved his hands over her entire body, almost as if to say that each fibre of all that was Nami now belonged to the man that was Zoro. As his hands slid back to her breasts, he squeezed, and her mouth separated from his to scream. He chuckled darkly, almost making her worry as she panted from the overwhelming sensation of his cock tapping her unknown g-spot.

"If you get any louder, they'll hear us." He tossed his head up, as if to point toward the other people aboard the ship who they had forgotten about. The shadow that covered his eyes then made him look so menacingly, so devious and powerful, the stream of words he whispered had entered on ear and gone through the other. She nodded, to show she understood, but once he thrusted into her again, she yelped like a cat in heat. He chuckled again, and she felt her juices stir anxiously.

"Here." Was all he said, in that sexy baritone of his. She looked up to see his shoulder aligned with her lips. Letting her slim fingers run over his broad shoulders to grab onto him, she placed her lips on his shoulder blade and began to suckle. She felt the sound that ruptured in his chest and continued to please, just to make him understand how close to climaxing she was before he stopped.

Seeing as how she was gratifying him with the delicate touches on his neck, he chose to show the same to her. His lips sliding off his teeth, he traced her earlobe with the points of his fangs. Her moan breathed over his skin, until mid way through, she caught herself and bit onto his shoulder. Growling with some kind of anger, he slid his fangs down her neck and began to bite at her crook. The instant he did, she gripped her legs around his waist and swayed her hips over him, begging him for more. Though he was deemed to be in control, he complied with her wish and bucked upwards yet again, starting yet another frenzy of friction between the two of them.

In a haze, Nami still moaned in approval and hunger while kissing and nibbling on his skin absentmindedly. She had no control over her body now as he kept ramming against her most pleasurable spot. Her hips moved faster and faster, powered by some unknown source of energy, as she worked as hard as she could to reach her peak. Her hands slid all over his back, then down to his arse and squeezed. She got the reaction she wanted, as it caused him to perform a sort of double thrust inside her and she made it. Turning her scream into a sharp pant, she whispered his name heatedly into his ear with all the feelings she had inside her before she leaked over him.

Unprepared for such a thing, he had maintained his actions, until he felt her wetness drip over him and made his manhood perform yet another double thrust. Panting fiercely, he was unsure of what to do, seeing as how he had yet to reach his point of climax. Pulling back with tense shoulders, he looked into her eyes with untameable longing and need. She blushed shyly, surprising to him, to see she climaxed first. He let a small smirk sluggishly spread across his features. Confused, Nami gave him the cutest look of curiosity he had ever seen. Leaning forward, he placed hot kisses, ones that ignited her already sated sexual appetite, over the shape of her jaw until he reached her ear again.

His voicing rumbling, he teased while he exhaled with unimaginable fervency into her ear, "It would seem you can't out last me. But I'm not done yet, Nami." And so, with both their lust reinstated, he almost threw his appendage inside her, ready to start the second round of their love making.

Unable to handle the swirling delight of both the after shock and rising sex, Nami had to lash out against him. Slipping her hand under her thigh, she reached her fingers over to his bouncing sack and cupped it in her hand, just as he had with her breasts previously. He almost halted his assault to her clit; he was clearly curious and enjoying the action. Smiling into the imprints her lips left on his shockingly smooth skin, she began to create a wave-like motion with her hand, almost juggling what she held. He choked on a pant, then grabbed her hands and held them over her head, restricting her to the wall. She was about to cry out in protest again, before his masterful, demanding lips enclosed over hers and viciously commanded for response.

Her insides were begging her to both stop and make sure his overpowering body would never cease its wondrous raid of her. Pulling him closer with her legs and squeezing his waist line with her thighs, she answered to the latter and curved her back to match his animalistic drive into her soaking womanhood. Feeling their bodies separate slightly, she felt her partner wrap his free arm around her back and force her chest against his own. Her breasts continued to bounce with matching speed to his forceful actions upon her, and again, she felt herself coming close yet again.

"Z-Zoro…" she moaned, coating her speech with a whisper so only his ears could hear. His brooding, masculine eyes scanned hers so diligently, even while he was lost to the control of his groin over his senses. He grunted as a reply, as a way of saying that he too, was reaching his end. Pleased to hear they would both be reaching their peak together, both Nami and Zoro moved their hips as fast as possible, with as much vigour as the other, trying to make their partner cum first.

Moaning as she had before, the red head's back moved with her waist at such a blinding speed, the swordsman was impressed. However, her sounds only made him drive into her as quickly as ever, and since he had discovered what her most pleasing spot was, he made sure to slam against that special point each and every time. Her gasps that mixed with her sounds of exhilaration proved it to him; they were both ready.

Though she was caught within her whirl of ecstasy, Nami refused to first for the second time. Slipping her hand out the grasp he had over her, she let her hand fly down to his sack again and juggled them once more. Too lost within pleasure was the swordsman that he allowed it, and welcomed release by this point, as he had been fighting the urge to explode for too long. In his last attempt of success, he bit down on her neck and suckled over her tender skin. He was pleased to her verbalize her final moments of enjoyment.

"A-Ahh! Mm, Z-Zor-! Zoro, I-I-Ahh! Uhh…Uhh…I-I c-can't! I can't Zoro, I gotta-Ahh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Z-Zoro! Zoro! ZORO! Ahh! Ahhh! AHHH!" And just as she screamed her final sound of pleasure, he too hit his peak and together, they climaxed.

Nami clamped her lips shut as she savoured the feeling of his seed emptying into her, her back lifting her chest even more then it already was against his firm pectorals. After a few good seconds, once she began to drop her shoulders, she felt herself drop while in her arms. When she opened her eyes, she was still on Zoro's appendage, but within his lap, as they now sat on the floor, the forgotten shower still beating on them. Shivering, the red head snuggled against his chest, looking for a way to preserve her warmth. His strong hand cupped one side of her buttocks, but she did not whelp in surprise, but merely welcomed the feeling.

As they panted in unison, Zoro glanced over at her with tired eyes. The glowing maiden against him made his heart skip a beat, even after all they had just done. He thought that if he had just fucked her, his painful craving for the seductive wench would end. Now, as he slid his fingers up and over her still tingling skin, he knew that that was not the case. As she rested her hand over his heart, he concluded that he would never let her leave him. She was now part of his life, and she was never to be separated from him again. For he knew no other woman could ever give him such copious amounts of pleasure in so many different ways.

Fighting the sudden urge to yawn, Nami concluded--she was spent! Nothing in her life had left her so physically wasted. Nor had anything ever given her such unimaginable joy. Looking at the swordsman from under her brows, as she scanned his tired expression, she came across her own realization; they hadn't climaxed, they had both had their very first orgasms together. Smiling with an amount of glee she thought was unattainable, she sat up straight and slowly lifted her body off of his manhood. As she tried to turn away from him, she felt his fingers squeeze her arse. A small shiver travelled up her spine, which made her shutter. She turned to him, ready to explain her intent, until she saw the slack-jawed grin. Smiling back, she let his hand rest where it did while she reached over to turn off the running water. Then, she returned to her resting place.

"Say," Zoro asked calmly after taking in a deep breath and clearing his throat. He waited for Nami to make a noise in reply before finishing, "Why hasn't anyone come looking for us? The shower's been running for at least half an hour."

"Oh," her devious tone interested him. He looked down at her with his usual inquisitive look while she gave him her typical temptress smirk, "I put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door before I came in."

He was dumbstruck, but paid no attention. Instead, he slid his hand from her ass to her chin, then tilted her face upward so he could kiss her again.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Some chapters will be M rated, but I will let you know in the chapter title, or in the summary.

**SUGGESTIONS** FOR THEMES **WELCOMED!** Check my profile

Blessed Be!


	3. Poetic Situation

**_One Piece:_**

Theme: #08 -- Innocence  
Pairing: ZoroxNami  
Rating: **M** (for Sexual Themes)

* * *

Over her, he lays

Over her, he lays. Inside her, he plays.

Both emotionally, and physically, he takes care of her exceptionally.

Fluid motion, without notion.

Senses wafaring all the while, reassurance with one smile.

Together, they grind. Their hands, intertwined.

Lips agape and filled with sound. Moans of her joy, in the room, abound.

Blush ridden cheeks glow in the dark.

The color darkens with one sassy remark.

His name she cries, then his beating dies.

The sound alone, makes him deeply groan.

He curses and mumbles, yet he still acts humble.

Ignoring, while rising, the empty disses. Slowly, on lips, she plants her kisses.

Frozen, he gasps. His breezing has lapsed.

At his shyness, she giggles. While angered, he wiggles.

He pleas with honest, in a manly voice. But still, he offers his love a choice.

As nervous as she, he says he'll flee. If she is scared, there's other times to share.

A smack is delivered onto his head. He blinks as she falls back onto the bed.

She tells him to claim her. She's wants to be marked by the cur.

He gulps, and nods surely. But to plead, he'll leave early.

Sighing, she pulls him down. Such an action kills his frown.

Now being pleasured, he's pleased he had endured.

For orange and green. Tangerines and their leaves.

Had never their ever been a better pair. One of such love, sweet, and tender care.


	4. If I Never Knew You

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**One Piece:**

Theme: #36 – Precious Treasure  
Pairing: ZoroxNami  
Rating: K

* * *

The night lay thick on the horizon, he noticed, as he stared upward at the sky. Once again, he had chosen to slumber on the Thousand Sunny's deck. Only when he awakened did he discover what a poor choice it was. The harsh winds made him question if a blizzard was heading in their direction. He knew Nami would have mentioned it to the crew, so he truly had nothing to fear. However, it seemed nature was questioning her skill that eve.

Taking in a deep breath, he drank in the scene above his head. The stars were always so bright at a certain time in the night, and by sleeping on the deck, he was able to see them every so often. Though known as a man of carnage, he sincerely appreciated having such a soothing atmosphere cloak him so gently. It was what probably made sleeping during the night so interesting. Considering how he shouldn't need to, after all the naps he tended to have in a day.

"What are you doing out here so late?"

The moment her voice was heard, he knew where it came from and who owned the melody. His eyes rolled back a bit more, and then he met the sight of two chocolate orbs. She was leaning over the railing of the upper deck, that one long strand of orange locks dangling against her cheek. She giggled and began to walk down the stairs; he could hear her bare feet, surprisingly. Feeling as if he had been caught doing something inappropriate, he jumped to sit properly. His eyes stared hard at the bottom of the stairs as he waited for her arrival, "I was sleeping. What…are you doing out here at this time?"

"I decided to check if you were here. I can see that I was right to guess you were sleeping without any blankets or a coat. How can you enjoy sleeping in the cold like this? Is this another training tactic of yours?" She asked each question with a different emotion. It amazed him how each sound she made also accommodated her movement, until she sat at his side, "Nice sky though, right?"

"Yeah…" He couldn't help but feel like a child; it was _his_ night sky, not hers to enjoy, "So why are you really out here?"

"Zoro, I got a question for you." She stated as her head dropped to stare at her joined hands.

"Answer mine first!" He exclaimed.

"What do you think it would be like if we never met?"

The question blew him away. It was so random, and required too much of him in the middle of the night. She looked dead serious from the profile he could make out of her. Though her eyebrows were not knit and her lips weren't creased into a frown, the gleam of her eyes made her look as if she was more mature then he knew her to be.

"What…kinda question is that?" Was all he could say.

"The type of question that I can ask you. What kinda question is that?" She retorted, her usual exterior replacing her uncharacteristic one. It made him calm for a second, before his mind reminded him of the question.

"Who asks that kind of thing? It's stupid to ask about things that never happened."

"What if us meeting never happened?"

"Stop asking me that!"

"Why? Is it bugging you?"

"Of course it is!"

"I was just asking."

"Don't ask something so stupid!"

"It's not stupid; it's a valid question!"

"Who asks a question like this? And in the middle of the night?"

"Me! Now answer!"

"No!"

"Why not?!"

"Because it's a stupid question!"

"You're being stupid for not answering!"

"No, I'm no—"

"Answer or I'll debt you ten million bellis with five hundred percent interest for every second that passes."

"Th-That's ridiculous—"

"One."

"You can't force me to answer something like that!" He huffed heavily. Staring strongly into her eyes, he panted with surprising vigour. She looked at him with the same amount of power, before she lost all emotion in her face and stared blankly.

"I never went to the village where Buggy lived."

"What?"

"I wasn't there to make Luffy meet up with Buggy. I never made you guy's fight his crew."

"Luffy would have fought him, no matter who was there. But—"

"We never crossed paths. You guys never fought Arlong—"

"Nami!"

"What then? What if we never met? What would life be like, Zoro?"

"Why…are…you asking me this? And why are you pushing it so much?" Something was strange about the redhead he sat with; she outwardly appeared to be the picture of perfect health. Her eyes were shining and her skin was its usual creamy tone. Nevertheless, the traits she was acting upon were unlike her. Perhaps she had a nightmare that had to do with separating from them? Or maybe, she dreamt of Arlong… No matter what the reason was, he wasn't happy with her.

"If you answer me, I'll leave already! Just answer me, you idiot!" Yes, her attitude and impatience made him assume that he was correct. He groaned inwardly; he was never one to deal with emotional situations. Females also had a tendency to be overly sentimental. With a past like hers…was there a correct way to answer this question, without lying?

"…Unless you're too stupid to answer." She whispered and crossed her arms with a lazy pout.

"YOU—"

"Fine, fine! Don't answer. Go back to _star gazing_ or whatever it is you do out here at night!" In seconds, she was up the stairs.

"Ack! I don't do that!"

"Shut up!" Somehow, the missing sandals he thought she would have worn collided with his head from above.

Hissing, he roughly rubbed the back of his head and glared down at the 'blunt object' that intended to cause harm upon him. But as he stared, he found himself studying the style and shape of her unique footwear. Almost like a dog he sat, staring at them curiously. It was then he decided to take her challenge of a question.

Alone on the deck, he pondered over her words.

'_What do you think it would be like if we never met?_'

What did that question entail, really? To look back on his life, like he never had before, and imagine it without her? As he replayed his last thought, he realized how important she must be to him, if he couldn't even imagine not knowing who Nami was. Nevertheless, he tried. Closing his eyes, he focused and meditated. He decided to look back to the very town she had mentioned to him. Picturing his first steps onto the island of that town, he replayed his goal in his mind: to retrieve his captain.

It was then his eyes shot open. How else would that event occurred if she wasn't there?

No, he refused to believe that she was as vital as his mind was proving. She was the navigator of the crew, and nakama to him, but she could not be more then that.

So, he chose another memory. He decided on the time they met Usopp. Exhaling soundlessly, he closed his eyes half way. He realized a second in time: they never would have met Usopp if Nami hadn't directed them to Syrup Village. And they never would have gotten the Going Merry.

That example proved she was incredibly important as the navigator for the Straw Hats. Could he not say to her that he couldn't imagine how his journey with Luffy would have survived without her? Wasn't that answer enough?

Something was telling him that was a foolish wish.

Sighing, he picked up one of her sandals in his right hand and looked it over. He sat there for a large portion of the night, mauling over the troubling question his so called friend had bestowed upon him and him alone.

* * *

Nami awoke, with the feeling of a dead woman. She was so exhausted from her trip during the night, and the frightening thoughts she had had. Both mentally and physically wasted, she wondered why she had opened her eyes so soon. Her hand flew to her mouth as she yawned, and small tears gathered in her eyes. Rolling onto her side, she was a bit surprised not to see Robin still in bed. She was curious; what time was it?

Accepting what was before her as a new day, she stood shakily and began to get dressed. It was as she unbuttoned her flannel shirt that reality struck her; she had gone to Zoro with a personal, emotional question last night, had she not? Gasping, she halted her actions. She stood still for a few moments, then gulped and closed her eyes. It would be interesting to see how he reacted to her today, she concluded. But as long as she acted like her typical self, she knew she would be fine.

After slipping on her decided attire, she looked herself over in the mirror, smiled, then walked to the door. Just as she swung it open though, she received a surprise.

"Z-Zoro!" She sounded more alarmed by his presence then shocked.

"I thought I should return these." He sounded lifeless, and looked it too. It took her a few seconds of examining his tired eyes perform she noticed anything else. She tilted her head downward and noticed her pair of orange sandals. Sighing with relief, she grinned. So she had finished the conversation acting normal. How refreshing.

"Good boy." She giggled as she took them in her hands. He growled, but it was a fleeting note as she walked into her room and stored them in her closest.

"By the way," she heard him mumble from her doorway, "I can't imagine what it would be like if I never met you. That's a stupid thing to ask, anyway." The last of his sentence faded out, due to his retreating figure and his low voice volume.

But still, she heard it, and again she froze. In front of her mirror, she happened to be staring at herself. She got to see first hand what it looked like to be caught off guard by a someone's sweet nothings being uttered to her. She did a double take as she could have sworn seeing one side of her lips perk up. However, seconds later, she found the biggest smile spreading across her face. Once she accepted the grin, she ended up giggling at herself.

As they both recalled the last moment they shared, from opposite sides of the ship, they thought unknowingly in unison about how precious memories and times spent together can be. No matter the beating a sore throat you experienced afterward.


	5. Hide and Harbour

_**One Piece**_**:**

**Hide & Harbour**

* * *

"Ah…Zoro?" He heard his name being called from behind, but he was not startled. Turning slowly, lifting his eyes from his heated stare on his once cool ale, the first mate was greeted by the sight of the Mugiwara's recuperating navigator. She stood just a few feet away with eyes of slight surprise, which seemed to reflect his own.

"Nami," he answered in a similar fashion to her own remark, "what are you doing up? Shouldn't you be resting?"

As he spoke, she entered into the miniscule light that the moon's rays offered to shower the kitchen with through the hatch windows along the wall; it was a particularly bright night, so he felt there was no need to make use of the light indoors. He did, however, feel the need to watch over her – his eyes locked fiercely on her frame – in case she would need assistance in her small trip around the dining hall. Thankfully, the slim darkness hid his obvious concern from the one person who needed it the most.

Suddenly, he cringed; even in the pale complexity that was the light offered by the moon, Zoro could quite clearly see the poison that stained Nami's cheeks, neck, hands and legs. Dressed in odd shapes and sizes of poison-induced bruising, he had never seen the spunky young lady look so…ill. And of course, the colour of the sickening markings was the very colour that represented his very existence.

Green – the colour of his hair and sash, and the sheen to his pants and boots – was the horrifying discolouration on her skin.

"Zoro? What's wrong?" he heard her question from the other side of the table now; since when had she moved so deeply into the room? He shook his head lightly, earrings making a slight jingle as he went, in order to focus once more on the redhead before him.

"Ah, nothing. Oi, you didn't answer my question." He pointed out while returning from his depressing mental haze.

"I did, just now. I said I needed to get out of that room already. Pay attention to more than just your sword." Nami sighed as her fingers danced away on the refrigerator's keypad to the rhythm of the mystery code to unlock it.

This time when he hissed, it was due to the increased amount of light pouring into the room. His forearm over his eyes, Zoro waited until he heard the familiar 'snap'-like sound of the door closing before taking his make-shift visor down. When he did, however, he was greeted with the sight of Nami taking a long swipe of his ale.

"_O_-_Oi_! What the hell are you—"

"Blah, Zoro! This beer is so warm! How can you drink this?" Nami complained with a bit of a whine. Her heels' thumped upon the ground as though the sound was trying to surround him, while she traveled around his side of the dining hall table and sat on the couch by the hatch windows.

Of course she would glorify those hideous green marks on her skin by sitting right under moon light. It was as if Nami knew how to torture Zoro without even giving it much thought; it was a natural habit of hers. Almost like an instinct.

"You shouldn't take things that aren't yours when you were just in the fridge, and you're the one with the code to get into it!"

"It's empty." She informed while moving some stray strands of hair behind her ear. His jaw tightened.

"That's not my fault! I found this on the counter. A-And you probably shouldn't even be drinking right now anyway!"

"I'm healing, not dying. Relax, Zoro; why are you so anxious tonight?" Her voice rolled over the distance between them and straight into his ear, sending a small chill down his spine. Anything and everything in that remark could be commented on by him, but he chose to bite his tongue.

"If Chopper says you can drink, that's fine. But check the pantry or something before you steal my booze." He demanded more so than requested. With his unease filling his being to its rim, the swordsman turned to face the table yet again. He would not torture himself by ogling the bruises on her skin.

"That still doesn't answer my question." sang the coy navigator as she ran a hand over her legs.

"I just couldn't sleep. I'm going back out on night watch now, so I'll leave you be." Zoro informed as he began to rise with his eyes downcast.

"I didn't say you had to leave."

"I know, but I can't sit in here all night. See you in the morn—"

"Zoro?" her voice shocked him; it was very…weak. Curious, he stopped before the door – refusing to look back at the person challenging him to claim the colour green as their own – and awaited the rest of her remark, "…If I swipe one of Sanji's wines, will you sit and drink with me?"

His heart felt constricted as anxiety accompanied his response, "Ha, I didn't think you had it in you to steal from Lovecook. And I don't drink wine; I drink grog."

"I'm sure he has a specific beer he cooks with; I'll swipe it if you stay." The offer she presented not only tempted his taste buds, but seduced the trouble maker in him as well. It was simply an extra feature to be able to monitor her while they drank.

Nodding absentmindedly, the first mate found himself returning to his seat at the dinner table without so much as another thought. It was almost an instant reaction, one might say. Nevertheless, he watched her saunter to the cupboards under the sink as he dropped his weight into the leather-covered seat. She appeared to be in perfect health as she knelt down and rummaged as carefully as a thief in the night should. But Zoro knew her better, and as he watched with eyes of transparent emotion, he knew her pain was most likely just the same.

Finally she resurfaced from the sea of liquor and displayed for him one of her most prideful grins, "_Yatta_~ I think I found your favourite too."

He did arch a brow – how could she possible know what his favourite beer was? He usually drank whatever came in a barrel – but she did not respond to the gesture. Instead, she hid the bottle from his sight and put it in the fridge to cool for the time being. Afterward, she grabbed herself a charming wine glass and sat down across from him to enjoy both the sauce and the entertainment, "So, you were defeated by Shiki pretty easily, huh?"

The swordsman – and his pride – twitched, "This is what you want to talk about?"

"But you made up for it with Dr. Indigo; I heard you were the one who got him to give us the antidote." The short departure of sound in the kitchen solely made room for an undertone in their conversation that both refused to acknowledge.

"I killed him, if that's what you mean. Heh, if I could defeat one of Shiki's crew mates, I could have defeated him after."

"Pretty confident, are you?"

"It's just the truth."

"But why did you lose to him before then? I thought no one could beat the demon Zoro."

"If no one could beat me, then I would already be the greatest swordsman; I have to aspire to beat anyone who defeated me. But now I can't, since Luffy took care of Shiki."

"Hm, but what if he's not dead?"

"…Then…I guess he's Luffy's to kill. If I were to find him when I'm alone and he threatened the crew again, I would kill him. Otherwise, it's Luffy's job." She had taken a rather long, slender sip of her chosen red wine while he spoke and the topic began to wither. Zoro was well aware of his poor cover; he had said 'the crew' instead of Nami. The small foolish choice in words would only come to haunt him. When the sentence replayed in his mind, the first mate let his eyes wander over the navigator's skin again. His stare weighed heavily on her body, but he was certain she did not feel an ounce of it.

"Really, Zoro," she whined, almost snapping his concentration, "You can admit to me that you couldn't do it. I won't tell anyone." Her playful tone was drizzled over her words, but he did not appreciate it in the slightest. He knew that the cool remark was only meant to help glide them over the rocky terrain of their unsaid unconcern and insecurity, but it did nothing but push him closer to his edge.

"It's not about whether I couldn't kill him or not; that wasn't even one of our goals! It was just a bonus!" he barked as he declared.

Her brow arched now, but in more of a mischievous way, "Wasn't one of your goals? Killing him would mean that his plan was ruined; the East Blue would be completely safe."

"But we obviously weren't going there for that!" Roronoa snapped, and had to reel himself back in, "Luffy wanted us to find you first, before doing anything else. He's got the devil's luck; he didn't need to worry about the East Blue until you were safe."

He gave her a moment; most likely, Nami would appreciate the comment to the point of silence – a moment he would usually bask in. However, he was also aware that she would overcompensate in her reply to him as an attempt to hide how touched she felt. Surely, he should have braced himself.

"Really? …Then you all are a bunch of idiots. You should have killed him first and then gone after me. When Usopp and Chopper found me I thought, 'Oh no, they're here for me? I guess I should just do everything myself and stop Shiki on my own.' How could you guys care so little about your home—"

Zoro slammed his fists, "It wasn't about that! You're asking us to choose between our nakama and the place where we come from; it isn't so easy! We did what we did and none of us would have done anything differently. Aside from killing that bastard when we met him at the village, we would have done everything the same. And you don't have a right to question that!"

Through the smoky charcoal-tinted darkness, he could make out the small shape of Nami's body when it jumped in fright of his action. He could also see the green marks on her body quite well; the moon seemed to take Nami's side, as the tiniest ray landed on her arm and caused her moss-coloured markings to glow in the night. His jaw clenched – to cease any further verbal slaughter – as he took his stance once more. Toward the door he flew, prepared to turn to his night watch.

There was simply something about her sounding so ungrateful – even when he knew it was to mask her gratitude – that irked him so. Neither one was willing to delve further into their feelings toward the incidents caused by the Gold Lion, giving Roronoa Zoro the perfect excuse to carry himself out the door.

"Zoro!" she called to him once more, only this time, her voice was both angry and panicked. He had already left through the kitchen's doorway, but had left the door ajar. He stopped under reflex and command of his name, but did not re-enter the space. When she said nothing after quite some time, the swordsman relaxed himself by rubbing the back of his neck as he looked to the sky, and letting his other arm come to rest atop his swords' hilts; he hoped the sound would notify her of the short distance between them, "…What about your ale?"

He thought on it, "…I'll drink it tomorrow." And he took only one step further before she called to him again.

"But Sanji will see it in the fridge, and then you'll never get to drink it."

She made a strong argument with her even stronger voice; it appeared that she was slowly approaching him, "I can always swipe some for myself another time."

"Heh, you, a thief? You can't be a very good one," He was about to argue with her, when she had soundlessly arrived at his back, "You're too heavy when you move."

"It's muscle weight." He stated defensively, though it did not show in his tone.

"Right, right. You sure it's not from your beer belly?" She teased as she gained the courage to stand at his side. They both scanned the night sky that was emptied of all stars, as if there was something important to catch sight of, aside from the sun-challenged moon.

"I don't have a beer gut!" Now his defensive voice was in use.

"Really? I thought that's what you were always hiding under your sash."

"I'm not hiding anything!"

"I know; you don't have the patience, and you aren't very suave."

Now he turned to face her, "_O-Oi!_" From his stand, he was facing her profile. And now that they were outside, those damn green marks on her body were all lit up before him. His streak of enthusiasm in their latest battle of wits was losing its heat as he began to sink in upon himself.

"_But_," she went on, still turned away and unaware of his sudden depression, "You are strong. And if you could, I bet you could kill Shiki."

Sentiments? From Nami? Stunned – and still lost to his saddened mind set – his eyes fierce hold on her slowly rose to meet her eyes as she turned to face him. Just as they came face to face, Nami returned to her cat-like ways; she smirked oh so playfully, patted his cheek and said, "I'm sure you could, _Zo-ro_."

"ACK!" He froze in a manner that was similar to her coldness back in Whiskey Peak, "I-I could! And I don't need you to believe me; next time I fight someone, you'll see how quickly I defeat them!"

And then, to surprise him further, she broke out into a large fit of giggles. "Oh Zoro," she squealed as she began to make her return to the Sick Bay through the kitchen. She looked back at him with her hand on the doorway and a wink on her lashes, "You barely drank and this is was fun! Next time, I'll make sure to get you drunk to the point where you pass out; who knows what else you'll say? Good night!"

Once more as she went, the moon did its best to defy the shape of the ship and hold onto her Zoro-coloured skin. He watched the spots dance away into the darkness as if they were hovering without being attached to someone's body. But they were, and it was Nami's body they were stuck to. His colour…on his skin… She was recovering wasn't she? Then maybe he could learn to see the silver lining in the incredibly odd scenario…

* * *

_**My Soul Duty **_**return, anyone?**


End file.
